Agusti Fernandez & Ingar Zach Germinal Plastic Strip 2008	Magda Mayas & Tony Buck Gold Creative Sources 2009	Nicola Cipani The Ill-Tempered Piano Long Song 2009	Denman Maroney Udentity Clean Feed 2009

Four very different approaches to the piano breed startling and fresh results and prove that there are still many avenues of inquiry and research available to those interested in the beloved 88.

In fact, use of the actual 88 keys is in relatively short supply on these albums. They become features of accent, just one of many ways to access the piano's complex inner workings. They are used in the opening moments of pianist Agusti Fernandez' chilling "Volutas" from Germinal, for example, but are then rapidly replaced by long-toned bowings. Throughout this astonishingly diverse disc, it is difficult to tell whether it is piano or Ingar Zach's percussion that is responsible for individual timbres. The beautifully haunting "Arcano" swims by as glacial tones abound, the performers becoming a single entity.

Of similar interest but not nearly as sparse is Gold, the collaborative effort of pianist Magda Mayas and drummer Tony Buck. To say that the disc is more 'traditional' is only to affirm that the atomistic approach of '60s 'free' jazz is in effect here, which has become a tradition in its own right. Maya's instrument moans, sighs and whispers, in contrast to Buck's more and more explosive percussives, making "Mercury"'s epic unfolding a study in long-range dynamic and sonic contrast even as it changes dramatically from moment to moment. Despite references to established modes of expression, there's nothing sterile about this venture into duo improv.

Nicola Cipani's exploration of broken-down New York pianos, The Ill-Tempered Piano, results in a fascinating collection of improvisations where necessity is truly the mother of invention. The impression, from a track such as "Scemophonia," is that each piano is capable of little else and the disc's success is a credit to Cipani's creativity. Transgeographical gestalts are sometimes invoked purely as a symptom of a piano's condition, as on the microtonally mesmerizing "Outsourced Music". No matter how 'out' the tunings, many rhythmic constructions are fairly simple, evoking swing or funk.

The same can be said of Denman Maroney's quintet session Udentity, yet the references don't stop there. Is that "Blue Train" audible in the second track? Given the veteran status of all those involved—Ned Rothenberg (alto sax, clarinet and bass clarinet), Dave Ballou (trumpet), Reuben Radding (bass) and Michael Sarin (drums)—it wouldn't be surprising. Be that as it may, Maroney's trademark hyperpiano is complemented by the pointilistic jabs, thrusts and sinews of the other musicians, some old-fashioned keyboard work dominating the latter half of this typically diverse and endlessly fascinating album.

Tracks and Personnel

Germinal

Tracks: Volutas; Hojarasca; Arcano; Es la nieve sobre el mar; Hidromiel; Capaz de luz.

Personnel: Agusti Fernandez: piano; Ingar Zach: percussion.

Gold

Tracks: Mercury Machine; Golden.

Personnel: Magda Mayas: piano; Tony Buck: drums.

The Ill-Tempered Piano

Tracks: Body Hair Rag; Princip; Macrominiature; True Story; Accent Elimination 1; Blink; Pastime; Celestino; Scemofonia; Tibidabo; Sredni Vashtar; Filmflam; Accent Elimination 2; Ear Worm; Outsourced Music; Astragalizousa; Crime Watch; The Odd Ones; The Petrarca Brothers; Self-Saluting Unit; La Deutsche Vita; Paramour; Adopt a Highway; Gentleman Cow.

Personnel: Nicola Cipani: piano.

Udentity

Tracks: Udentity I; Udentity II; Udentity III; Udentity IV; Udentity V; Udentity VI; Udentity VII.

Personnel: Denman Maroney: hyperpiano; Ned Rothenberg: alto saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet; Dave Ballou: trumpet; Reuben Radding: bass; Michael Sarin: drums.